"Next!"
Shao Xin shouted.
It was now Shirou Emiya's turn.
"Pay first," Shao Xin said without much emotion.
He felt something strange about the group in front of him. Other students were brought in by their parents, but this felt different. Shirou Emiya looked like the one enrolling. But who was the cute little girl next to him? And who was the big man beside her?
Still, as long as the money was paid, it didn't really matter.
"Here," Shirou Emiya said, handing over a coin.
Shao Xin held it, weighed it in his hand, and nodded.
"Two people!"
He felt satisfied, but also a bit confused.
Wait. Two people?
Shao Xin looked at Shirou Emiya again. That was one. So who was the other one?
He didn't think it was the little girl, Illya. She was so young and clearly had just awakened her soul power.
Could it be the big guy beside them?
Shao Xin frowned slightly but said nothing. He decided to wait and see.
"Age, soul power," he asked calmly, sitting back down.
"Okay," Shirou Emiya replied.
Two yellow soul rings appeared behind him.
Shao Xin checked his age. It met the requirements.
"Alright, go in," he said.
But Shirou Emiya only took a few steps before stopping. He looked back at Illya, clearly waiting.
"Wait, this little girl too?" Shao Xin asked, surprised.
"Yup! I just awakened my martial soul, but I'm already super strong!" Illya said proudly, hands on her waist.
To prove it, she showed her soul rings and martial soul.
Two yellow soul rings appeared behind her, and in her hand, a red staff with a yellow five-pointed star appeared.
"A Great Spirit Master... at this age?"
Illya didn't train like Tang San, so Shao Xin could tell her real age just by looking.
She really was only seven!
This... this seven-year-old girl?
Shao Xin felt like the world had gone crazy. Martial souls awaken at six years old. She had already reached level 20 in just one year?
"Welcome to Shrek," Shao Xin said from the heart.
"Hey, Onii-chan! Am I amazing or what?"
Illya ran to Shirou Emiya with a big smile.
"Yeah, Illya is the most amazing!" Shirou replied, patting her soft hair.
"And who is this?" Shao Xin asked, looking at the big man respectfully now, thanks to Illya.
"Oh, that's Basaka. He's the strongest and protects Illya!" Illya said proudly.
"Hmm," Basaka nodded.
Shao Xin caught the keywords: strong and protect.
A bodyguard, then.
Normally, Shrek didn't allow bodyguards, and Shao Xin wanted to say no. But Illya's talent was just too impressive.
"Please come in," he said sincerely.
And just like that, Shirou Emiya and his group entered Shrek Academy.
Inside, they saw other students: Xiao Wu and Tang San, Cu Chulainn and Zhu Zhuqing. Shirou felt curious seeing them all.
And over there... was a white-haired Shirou Emiya and Ning Rongrong.
Everyone reacted differently to the arrival of the new Shirou Emiya.
"Why is he here? Did he sneak in at the lowest level?"
Tang San frowned. He didn't like it at all.
Still, he didn't show his feelings. He just stood quietly and pretended not to know Shirou Emiya.
Cu Chulainn and Zhu Zhuqing didn't seem to care. They didn't know him anyway.
But when Cu Chulainn saw Basaka, the big man next to Shirou...
He suddenly felt cold all over, like he'd be used as a weapon, spinning like a blue spear...
"I'm... I'm scared," Cu Chulainn muttered, turning his head away.
As for the white-haired Emiya, who was focused on acting like a noble lady, he glanced once at Shirou and looked away again.
Everyone's reaction was easy to read.
With Shirou's arrival, the group for this year's selection was complete.
"Not bad. I didn't expect so many this year," said Oscar, who had been given the task.
He stepped forward, cleaned up and looking sharp, his peach-blossom eyes scanning the group.
Everyone knew Oscar was a senior student.
"Alright, you're the ones entering the final assessment. Follow me," he said.
He led the way with the seven who passed the test. Illya was treated like a visiting student.
Shrek's environment wasn't great. The road was just dirt, and everything looked dry and yellow like the Loess Plateau.
From far away, a black figure could be seen. It had to be the next test.
"Oh? Not bad. All seven of you are above level 25. Looks like we've got some real monsters this year!"
Zhao Wuji clapped his hands and smiled.
"This is my test. If you pass, you officially join Shrek. But don't think it'll be easy."
He looked at everyone seriously.
"I'll give you some time to talk it out. When you're ready, the test begins. You'll have one stick of incense to survive my attack. If you last that long, you pass."
He folded his arms and closed his eyes.
Since everyone was new, they stayed quiet at first.
Then someone finally spoke up.
"My name is Zhu Zhuqing. My martial soul is the Netherworld Spirit Cat. I'm an agility-type spirit master. I can distract the enemy and help create openings."
She stood confidently. Her tall figure and strong presence caught everyone's attention.
---
read 15+ chapters ahead at
[email protected]/Horizons685
End of Chapter